Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 114

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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114. Heuji’s Labyrinth 5th Layer, Path of Darkness (1)

Waterproof magic-enchanted shoes to protect the party’s feet from rotten water?

In production.

Leather armor to replace Ralph’s plate armor?

In production.

Purification magic-enchanted accessories to prevent potential diseases and wound infections?

Also in production.

Count Randy informed the assault team that the expected production period would be one week.

So would they rest during that week?

“Of course not. We still have remaining tasks, don’t we?”

That was why the guide had called together the assault team, excluding Count Randy.

“We can’t conquer the 6th layer with just Knight’s magic sword and Princess’s magic. I and Zero need to fight too.”

Even if Ying’s one dagger was of good quality and could pierce the labyrinth alligator’s hide, it was still just one dagger.

The 6th layer was an environment where it would be difficult to retrieve a dagger if dropped on the floor, so spare weapons were needed.

“We haven’t been to many places in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th layers, right? But the 3rd layer is too wide and the paths are dirty, so let’s skip it and explore the 4th layer. Knight’s magic sword came from the 4th layer too.”

“Are you suggesting we explore all the unvisited parts of the Path of Light, or go to the Path of Darkness?”

“Darkness?”

Ying’s black eyes lit up with delight.

Olive blocked the archer’s mouth, who suddenly became unnecessarily talkative whenever darkness was mentioned.

“I want to thoroughly search the Path of Light first~ Honestly, it would be a waste not to completely conquer the 4th layer, right? We haven’t even had fried chicken yet.”

“The chicken steak Lavenda made yesterday was delicious.”

“It was tasty and rich even with just salt sprinkled on it~ Sweet with honey spread on it too~”

As their previously barren diet gradually became more abundant, the party’s morale was high.

Serena brought the conversation back to the main point.

“Since we can also obtain finished equipment from goblins, it’s better not to completely conquer the 4th layer.”

“Exactly! So for this exploration, we’re thinking of exploring the 4th layer’s Path of Darkness, not thoroughly, but just checking places where treasure chests might be. What do you think, Princess?”

Now that they had magic lanterns that could illuminate the labyrinth’s strange darkness, the Path of Darkness was no longer frightening.

“I’m fine with it.”

“Mmph mmph.”

Ying, whose mouth was blocked by Olive, barely managed to speak through the guide’s fingers.

“I’m good too! This time I won’t be scared of the undead!”

“Great! Then Princess Serena’s labyrinth conquest party, excluding the Count! Let’s depart for the 4th layer!”

Serena petted the statue.

***

There were two ways to get from the 1st layer to the 4th layer of Heuji’s Labyrinth.

Either teleport to the 3rd layer and ride the zipline down, or teleport to the 5th layer and climb the stairs up.

The knight preferred the latter.

“Going up stairs is better for knee health than going down.”

The guide argued that the former was better.

“Why fight strong undead from the start for no reason? It’s better to adapt by catching weak ones from the lower floors.”

Serena thought Olive’s argument was very reasonable, so despite her fear of ziplines, she supported Olive’s suggestion.

“Kyaaahoo!”

But seeing the guide excitedly crossing through the air while gripping the metal rod, Serena suspected Olive’s true intentions.

‘It seems like she suggested going down not because of the undead, but just because she wanted to ride the zipline.’

It’s definitely not because Serena was scared of ziplines and looking for fault.

Serena gripped the metal rod with her teeth clenched tight and lifted her feet.

“Kyaaaah!”

It was regrettable that she had no name to call out to the air.

And so they arrived again at the 11th floor Path of Darkness of Heuji’s Labyrinth 4th layer.

As they approached the 11th floor, Olive turned on the magic lantern in advance as the darkness grew deeper.

The surroundings, which had been dark as if the world had ended, brightened up.

Olive and Ralph were pleased that they could now see well.

For Serena, who could still see well, there wasn’t much difference.

‘How long will this blessing last?’

Curious, she pointed to her eyes and asked Ying, who answered coolly and indifferently.

“Until the day darkness disappears from the world.”

‘For life? That’s an amazing usage period.’

Perhaps because she was the owner of the mighty domain of darkness, the Deity of Darkness was more generous than Serena had been in her prime.

“Wow, I can see well! Last time it was too dark so we passed through the early part carelessly. Let’s search carefully from the beginning to see if there are any chests.”

“I’m not scared of undead anymore! Please leave all the skeleton chickens and skeleton goblins to me!”

As if Ralph’s words became reality, a giant chicken skeleton walked toward them from the edge of the lantern light.

Instead of charging at the monster with a battle cry, Ralph stood in front of the party and waited for the monster to approach.

Cluck!

“Hup!”

Ralph’s sword sliced through the skeleton labyrinth chicken’s neck bone.

The light attribute additional attack turned the bone at the cut surface to powder.

The headless body kicked at the knight.

Ralph deflected the undead’s dirty claws with his shield and thrust his sword to sever the spine.

The skeleton chicken, cut into three parts, clattered on the floor.

Olive smashed the chicken’s skull and joint areas with her hammer.

“Even with a good magic sword, blunt weapons are still better against undead~”

“Next time a skeleton appears, I have something to test, so leave it to me.”

“Yes, understood.”

Serena’s opportunity came quickly.

“Front, two chicken skeletons!”

“What I desire is.”

Serena cast magic she had learned as a countermeasure against 4th layer undead but had never once used on undead.

“An explosion that will blow away bones!”

3rd tier magic, Mana Explosion.

It was an attack magic that purely condensed and detonated mana.

It could be combined with other elemental magic to create area attack spells like ice explosion or flame explosion, making it a non-elemental magic that all combat mages must learn.

Since it couldn’t deal significant damage to living creatures, mana explosion was rarely used alone but rather combined with elemental magic.

However, against undead, especially skeletons, since bones were held together by mana, detonating a mana explosion against a skeleton army had such good compatibility that you could witness the spectacular sight of an entire army collapsing instantly.

Of course, since bones would reassemble over time, it was important to follow up with additional attacks before then.

Serena cast mana explosion again on the chicken bones that had collapsed on the floor.

The chicken bones that had lost their binding force, collapsed, and were trying to reassemble scattered in all directions and shattered from the explosion.

Wondering if she needed to cast magic once more, she waited briefly, but the bones scattered everywhere could no longer move.

“Princess! You’re truly amazing!”

“So refreshing~!”

“Hmm, there was a reason I was told to learn it. It’s very effective against undead.”

“Your mana? Are you okay?”

“I can control the power of mana explosion while also controlling mana consumption, so it should be fine until the 15th floor.”

“Great! Let’s proceed vigorously like this!”

Though silver-plated hammers were better against skeletons, Ralph wielding his magic sword and Serena using mana explosion frequently to improve her magic proficiency.

Thanks to their efforts, the party progressed without feeling the undead’s miasma or negativity and discovered the first treasure chest.

“There’s a treasure chest over there!”

“Kyaa! It’s something good!”

According to Serena’s self-established treasure chest grading system within the labyrinth, a rare-grade treasure chest had appeared.

Olive checked for traps and monsters, then clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.

“Minotaur God! Princess got a staff, Knight got a sword. Now it’s mine and Zero’s turn!”

“Arrows.”

“That’s right! About 100 magic arrows with added magic attacks would be great! Whatever it is, please give us something that can pierce through crocodile hide!”

Olive and Ying finished their earnest prayer and opened the treasure chest.

What came out as a reward from the rare treasure chest was.

“Huh? A lantern?”

“Another lantern appeared.”

Olive compared the lantern she had entrusted to Ralph while opening the treasure chest with the newly obtained lantern.

The first one was black. The newly obtained one was white – only the color was different, but they had identical appearances.

“I asked for different weapons and it gives me a lantern? Am I supposed to swing it around and beat things?”

The lantern was quite heavy, so it would indeed be threatening if swung around.

“It’s quite dark, so wouldn’t it be good if it’s bright?”

“Well, that’s true~”

Olive looked dejected as she inserted a magic stone into the newly obtained white lantern.

She pressed the button, but nothing happened.

“What? Why is this acting up? Is it even turned on?”

“Did you press this button correctly?”

Ralph pressed the button on the black lantern.

The light went out and the party was plunged into the labyrinth’s darkness.

Click.

Olive pressed the button on the white lantern, but again nothing happened.

Ralph hurriedly pressed the button on the black lantern.

The surroundings brightened again.

“What is this? What’s it trying to do?”

Olive repeatedly removed and reinserted the magic stone.

The white lantern wouldn’t work no matter what she did to it.

“That’s strange? There shouldn’t be defective products in labyrinth rewards. Do I need to use a high-grade magic stone instead of a low-grade one?”

The Guide let out a groan.

“Ah~ If the Count were here, I could ask right away, but this happens when he’s not around.”

“Olive. Don’t worry about that and let’s go to the crossroads.”

“What? This? Did the Minotaur God tell you something?”

“Not that, but I have a hunch.”

Since the monsters were already defeated, there were no traps on the Path of Darkness, and the route to the crossroads was shown on the magic map, the party quickly arrived at the crossroads.

Light and darkness, or since Ying was sulking, darkness and light.

At the crossroads divided into two, Serena took the white lantern and walked toward the Path of Light.

And pressed the lantern button.

Click.

“Ah!”

“Ooh!”

“Darkness!”

When the Princess’s hand pressed the lantern button, the area around the lantern became darker.

The labyrinth’s light, which had been blindingly bright and hindered clear vision, was dimmed by several levels.

“Aha! The lantern found on the Path of Light illuminates darkness, and the lantern found on the Path of Darkness blocks light? Is that how it works?”

Olive was surprised by her own words after saying them.

“Didn’t I just sound really smart? Like an educated person?”

“Yes! You sounded like the Princess or the Count!”

“Kyahaha! I guess I’ve gotten smarter from traveling with learned people!”

Though she spoke like that, Olive was actually quite clever.

Serena judged it that way.

To make a name as a labyrinth explorer, especially as a guide, would require more than ordinary insight, dexterity, senses, reflexes, and situational judgment.

‘It’s more like sarcasm, though.’

Olive’s talk about “learned people” was mixed with mockery toward herself for lacking education and the class that monopolized learning.

‘I can tell she dislikes royalty and nobility, but strangely she seems to dislike the Prince more. Am I mistaken?’

If she disliked them because of the Empire’s unfair contract enforcement, she should hate Grey more, but her hostility toward the Prince seemed stronger.

Serena thought about it briefly then gave up.

‘Since the Prince can’t leave the lobby, she’s let her guard down a lot. It should be fine.’

Olive teased about being careful of hemorrhoids every time the Prince used the restroom.

Prince Willow seemed very flustered, as if he never expected to receive such dirty and petty teasing from an older, beautiful woman in his life.

‘He’s been holding it in and only going at night or dawn.’

It would be a big problem if he really got constipated from holding it in like that.

Whether the Prince’s anus got blocked tight like Heuji’s Labyrinth entrance or not, what mattered was conquering the labyrinth.

Olive looked around the comfortable space created by the white lantern and stuck out her tongue.

“This is driving me crazy. There are many areas on the Path of Light that we passed by roughly because of the blinding light, but now we’ll have to examine them all.”

“Both lanterns seem like they’ll be useful going forward.”

“Princess is right. Yes. We should use them carefully and preciously.”

The Guide seemed to be suffering from the desire to thoroughly search the light areas with the newly obtained lantern, but didn’t forget the goal of coming down to the 4th Layer and returned to the Path of Darkness.

“Next time, a real weapon better come out!”

“Arrows.”

“We can just steal from goblins, so arrows aren’t urgent! And put ‘magic’ in front of it!”

Serena and her party entered the darkness while having their warm conversation.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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